Cultivating Gratitude = Retreats, Thanksgiving trees and the Little Things

Let’s recap.

School started just one week and one day ago. That being said, Ella only went every other day in increments and now, suddenly, out of the blue, September is gone. Seriously?! Where did September go? Where did the last week go?!

Cultivating gratitude has been constantly on my mind – I have been mulling it over like the spiced apple cider that warms my body and soul during the winter season. So days 9-15 is going to come by way of a weekly recap.

School. Ella’s class. Her teacher. So. Much. To. Say. I am grateful. It is going well and in the coming days (or at the rate I am going, weeks, I will tell you all about it.)

This past weekend we went on a Church retreat. It was mostly work for me…but fun work. I had the kids do many of my favourite camp activities like cooking piggies in a blanket over the fire, of course, roasting s’mores and going on nature scavenger hunts. To say Jakob had a blast would be an understatement. He kept asking why it wasn’t a week long. And during the family game time on the Saturday evening, he wanted to be the participant in every game – we’re talking games like picking up cotton balls with a vaseline covered nose, or being wrapped in plastic wrap and wiggling to the finish line. I was blown away by his enthusiasm and I think everyone else was too.

Saturday afternoon during our free time we took a drive to Lake of the woods, located just outside of Hope for a little swim. It was stunning. I am convinced that my love language with God is His creation. It is where I know him most intimately.

Finally, as I have been considering gratitude, I have also been considering how to cultivate gratitude in my children. To be honest, I don’t know how much Ella understands gratitude. Ask anyone – she always says “thank-you”…multiple times if you do something for her, or give her something but gratitude? I don’t know. The thing about Ella, is that there is so much that she understands that I don’t give her credit for. Because she speaks a language solely unto her own, only God knows what really goes on in that little head of hers. It’s like the baby – does she understand that there is a baby growing inside me? She prays for it…but does she only pray for him or her because we always pray for the baby? Then again, sometimes when she prays, she comes up with things that are totally original….like thanking God for slurpees. The rest of the time, only key words are discernible, like Ry-ry (Uncle Ryan) or Papa or day. At any rate, I play along as if she understands just as much as Jakob and encourage her to think of things she is thankful for. When asked, she never really has an answer, but we give her a little card anyway and we hang it on our Thanksgiving tree.

I have wanted to do one of these for a number of years but just never had the time. Turns out, it is quite easy. I went for a walk in the woods one day and grabbed some dead branches, cut out some circles and each day at breakfast or dinner, we each get a card to draw on or write on. It is fun to see what the kids come up with. The first day Jakob drew a piece of chicken and spaghetti…why not really?

I am so grateful for autumn. I am grateful for this autumn. Seriously, quitting my day job was the best decision I have made this year. I have had so many appointments, that I think I would have lost it just trying to navigate the time off for those plus getting Ella and Jakob settled into school. I still work 20 hours a week at the church doing children’s ministry but I am so so so so grateful that I am able to drop the kids off at school and pick them up every day. I can connect with Ella’s aide and find out how her day was and I can bring Jakob and her a snack before we head off to ballet or choir or soccer – all the little things that would have otherwise not been possible. I am so grateful.

What are you grateful for this week?